Report: BC Ferries are missing the boat on the way to the Paris Agreement

Vancouver, BC (Unceded Coast Salish Territories) — BC Ferries have missed an opportunity to future-proof their fleet by locking ferries into methane-emitting liquid natural gas (LNG), according to a report released today by Stand.earth.

As we enter the busy season of BC Ferries’ crucial services, the report shows that while they acknowledge the need to get away from climate-toxic fossil fuels, BC Ferries currently operates a number of LNG-powered vessels that depend on fracking for fuel. BC Ferries’ newer proposed boats will continue to use LNG, locking in the need for fracked gas until at least 2075. This is 25 years beyond what is agreed upon in the Global Methane pledge Canada signed on to and is not aligned with the Paris Agreement to keep global warming below 1.5°C.

Methane, a fossil fuel, is the primary constituent in LNG and is responsible for one third of global warming. Fracking contaminates vast amounts of BC freshwater in an already water-stressed region and harms public health.

“BC Ferries are missing the boat on emission reductions,” said Anna Barford, Canada Shipping Campaigner with Stand.earth, based in Vancouver. “Instead of joining leaders like Denmark and Norway who have already electrified their boats and routes, BC Ferries are investing our money into further LNG expansion while perpetuating the myth that LNG is a ‘clean’ fossil fuel. LNG is methane, more toxic to the climate than C02, and a toxified climate will continue to perpetuate the cycle of increasing wildfires in the region.” 

Stand has also discovered discrepancies between what BC Ferries reported in its 2019 Clean Futures Plan (CFP) and information obtained via the Freedom of Information and Protection Privacy act (FOIPP). This data indicates that BC Ferries has underestimated their use of fossil fuels and LNG (which they call “LCE”, Low Carbon Energy) in 2030 by about 10% compared to information obtained in the FOIPP. 

“BC Ferries has an opportunity to be leaders, in Canada, in the world, and for the planet, but their routes, their boats, and their entire supply chain must be brought into alignment with global goals,” added Barford. “We need transparency,  a credible plan, and a clear timeline and we need to see it now, because the impacts of climate change clearly do not wait.”

Media contacts:

Anna Barford, Canada Shipping Campaigner, anna@stand.earth (Pacific Time)

Kathryn Semogas, Communications Specialist, kathryn.semogas@stand.earth (Eastern Time)

Arin de Hoog, Communications Specialist, arin.dehoog@stand.earth (Central European Time)